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This is by far the best original recipe of banana bread! What to do when you have ripe bananas lying around, getting a bit mushier everyday? Well, when I was a child, my mother used to make us a delicious quick dessert that involved two mashed ripe bananas, a spoon of freshly squeezed orange juice and two crumbled cookies. She mixed everything and in a few minutes it was ready. We loved it and would always ask for more.

I really wanted to recreate some of the flavours but in a banana bread. This wonderful Portuguese recipe really brought me back to my childhood and elevated that simple dessert to a delicious moist banana bread. The spices remind you of other exotic destinations and I decided to place dried apple slices instead of dried banana slices on top. I’m so glad I did, as the flavours came together perfectly.

Banana Apple Bread

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(Adapted from a recipe by Patricia Furtado)

  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 1 orange
  • 115g/4 oz unsalted butter
  • 200 g/ 7 oz sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 115 g/4 oz all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp  indian saffron (curcuma) powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3 tbsp (or to taste) dried apple slices, chopped

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF. Line a loaf bread pan with parchment paper. I used a 23 x 13 cm/9 ” x 5″ x 3″ in loaf pan. 
  2. With a fork mash the bananas very well. Pour the orange juice and mix well.
  3. Melt the butter and in an electric mixer beat it with the sugar until smooth and creamy. Stir in the mashed bananas and combine. Add the eggs one by one and mix well.
  4. Add the flour, baking powder and spices and fold in until well incorporated.
  5. Pour the batter into the loaf pan, place the apple slices on top and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The banana apple bread should be golden on top. Let it cool down in the pan for a few minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Have a slice and enjoy! It was such a big hit in my house that it only lasted two days and my husband keeps asking me when will I do it again. He says it is among my top recipes!

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Maria

Maria

Welcome! Through my photography and my travels, you will discover the people I have encountered and the places that will stay with me forever. In this crazy new reality we seem to be living, it is even more important to be grateful for all the people who have crossed our path and touched us in same way. As for all the old and new stones, they can live in our imaginary for now, waiting, when the time is right again ...

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